| From: | "Karen Lee Wald" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] |
| Subject: | Human Rights for Sale |
| Date: | Wed, 3 Apr 2002 14:35:35 -0800 |
It's hard to say which is more outrageous, the US' flagrant use of the money-whip to keep UN votes and policies in line with its own interests, or a major media organization's tacit approval of this in its coverage.
DOW JONES NEWSWIRE
Tuesday April 2, 6:38 PM
US/Rejoin UN Human Rts Body -3: Done Deal
Three European countries received more votes than the U.S.
in the secret ballot for seats on the Geneva-based panel
last May. At the same time, Sudan and several other nations
with poor track records on human rights were elected to the
panel. [THE IMPLICATION HERE IS THAT THE US, UNLIKE THOSE COUNTRIES, DOES *NOT* HAVE A "POOR TRACK RECORD ON HUMAN RIGHTS"! WHICH IS BLATANTLY UNTRUE.]
U.S. President George W. Bush described the ouster at the
time as "an outrageous decision." The U.S. Congress voted to
hold back $244 million in dues this year until the U.S. was
voted back onto the panel. [MR. BUSH MAY HAVE BEEN OUTRAGED, BUT IT WAS A FREE AND FAIR SECRET BALLOT ELECTION --OBVIOUSLY THE KIND HE DOESN'T LIKE. IT IS ALMOST BEYOND BELIEF THAT DOW JONES AND OTHER WIRE SERVICES AND MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS CAN ALL REPORT ON THE US CONGRESS DECISION TO ABROGATE THAT FAIR ELECTION BY BLACMAILING UN MEMBERS WITH THREATS OF WITHHOLDING DUES. IF ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD TRIED TO CHANGE THE RESULTS OF A FAIR ELECTION BY THAT MEANS THE US WOULD BE SCREAMING ITS HEAD OFF.]
It was the first time the U.S. had lost the seat since the
commission was established in 1947. After the vote last May,
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan predicted Washington would
get back its seat this year. [YES, MR. ANNAN KNOWS THAT THE UN CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT THE FINANCING OF THE RICHEST COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE US SHOULD RIGHTFULLY BE BACK ON A COMMISSION IT WAS VOTED OFF OF, DOES IT MR. ANNAN? UNFORTUNATELY, MR. ANNAN KNOWS WHO PAYS HIS SALARY, AND IT ISN'T THE POOR COUNTRIES OF THE THIRD WORLD.]
Downer said the four countries would fill the positions from
January 2003 to December 2005. The seats are part of the
Western Europe and Others Group of countries on the panel.
His press secretary Matt Francis said Downer had been told
of the agreement by an Australian diplomat connected to the
commission. Australia last served on the panel in 1996.
"It has been squared away," he told The Associated Press.
"It's a done deal."
Both Australia and the U.S. have been criticized by the U.N.
for perceived human rights abuses.
Washington has come under fire for its treatment of
Afghanistan prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Canberra
has been lambasted for its hard-line stance toward asylum
seekers. [THIS IS THE POOREST REPORTING I HAVE SEEN IN A LONG TIME, AND DOW JONES WIRES HAS TOO MUCH EXPERIENCE TO HAVE DONE IT ACCIDENTALLY. ALL MAJOR INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE RESOUNDINGLY CRITICIZED THE US DOMESTIC AS WELL AS INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHED A TEN CHAPTER REPORT ON US DOMESTIC ABUSES IN 1998. CENTRAL AMERICAN AND LATIN AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE REPEATEDLY CRITICIZED THE US FOR ITS TOLERANCE AND EVEN SUPPORT OF DEATH SQUADS AND MILITARY REGIMES THAT ROUTINELY TORTURED, DISAPPEARED AND MURDERED OPPONENTS. IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE TO MAKE IT SEEM THAT THE ONLY ABUSES THE US IS GUILTY OF ARE IN RELATION TO ITS TREATMENT OF THE TALIBAN PRISONERS.]
"I hope that we will be able to exercise some influence to
ensure that the world takes a constructive and effective
approach to improvements in international human rights,"
Downer told reporters in the Australian city of Adelaide. [WELL, THAT CERTAINLY CANNOT BE DONE BY TURNING A BLIND EYE TO THE ABUSES PERPETRATED AND SUPPORTED BY THE UNITED STATES OR BY LETTING IT BUY AND BULLY ITS WAY BACK ONTO THE COMMISSION. IT WAS THAT KIND OF ARROGANT BEHAVIOR THAT GOT THE US VOTED OUT IN THE FIRST PLACE. AS IT WOULD BE IN OTHER INSTANCES IF THE ELECTIONS WERE SECRET BALLOT AS THEY ARE IN ECOSOC, WHICH VOTES FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.]
The commission, which usually meets in Geneva, makes
recommendations on the protection and promotion of human
rights - either on its own initiative or at the request of
the General Assembly or the Security Council.
[BUT THE UNITED STATES HAS ROUTINELY IGNORED THE KEY HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES RAISED BY OTHER COUNTRIES, AND ITS DELEGATION HAS CONSISTENTLY VOTED AGAINST THE MAJORITY CONCERNS --OFTEN AS A MINORITY OF ONE OR ACCOMPANIED BY ONLY ONE OR TWO SMALL COUNTRIES IT COULD BULLY OR PURCHASE. AT THE SAME TIME, FOR OVER A DECADE IT HAS BROUGHT TO THE COMMISSION ONLY ONE CONCERN: GETTING A VOTE AGAINST CUBA, AND PRESSURED ALL OTHER COUNTRIES TO VOTE FOR ITS RESOLUTION "OR ELSE". LITTLE WONDER THAT OTHER COUNTRIES FEEL THE US DOES NOT BELONG ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.]
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
Courtesy of:
The Law Office of Jose Pertierra
1010 Vermont Avenue, NW #620
Washington, DC 20005
202 783 6666
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
Tuesday April 2, 6:38 PM
US/Rejoin UN Human Rts Body -3: Done Deal
Three European countries received more votes than the U.S.
in the secret ballot for seats on the Geneva-based panel
last May. At the same time, Sudan and several other nations
with poor track records on human rights were elected to the
panel. [THE IMPLICATION HERE IS THAT THE US, UNLIKE THOSE COUNTRIES, DOES *NOT* HAVE A "POOR TRACK RECORD ON HUMAN RIGHTS"! WHICH IS BLATANTLY UNTRUE.]
U.S. President George W. Bush described the ouster at the
time as "an outrageous decision." The U.S. Congress voted to
hold back $244 million in dues this year until the U.S. was
voted back onto the panel. [MR. BUSH MAY HAVE BEEN OUTRAGED, BUT IT WAS A FREE AND FAIR SECRET BALLOT ELECTION --OBVIOUSLY THE KIND HE DOESN'T LIKE. IT IS ALMOST BEYOND BELIEF THAT DOW JONES AND OTHER WIRE SERVICES AND MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS CAN ALL REPORT ON THE US CONGRESS DECISION TO ABROGATE THAT FAIR ELECTION BY BLACMAILING UN MEMBERS WITH THREATS OF WITHHOLDING DUES. IF ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD TRIED TO CHANGE THE RESULTS OF A FAIR ELECTION BY THAT MEANS THE US WOULD BE SCREAMING ITS HEAD OFF.]
It was the first time the U.S. had lost the seat since the
commission was established in 1947. After the vote last May,
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan predicted Washington would
get back its seat this year. [YES, MR. ANNAN KNOWS THAT THE UN CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT THE FINANCING OF THE RICHEST COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE US SHOULD RIGHTFULLY BE BACK ON A COMMISSION IT WAS VOTED OFF OF, DOES IT MR. ANNAN? UNFORTUNATELY, MR. ANNAN KNOWS WHO PAYS HIS SALARY, AND IT ISN'T THE POOR COUNTRIES OF THE THIRD WORLD.]
Downer said the four countries would fill the positions from
January 2003 to December 2005. The seats are part of the
Western Europe and Others Group of countries on the panel.
His press secretary Matt Francis said Downer had been told
of the agreement by an Australian diplomat connected to the
commission. Australia last served on the panel in 1996.
"It has been squared away," he told The Associated Press.
"It's a done deal."
Both Australia and the U.S. have been criticized by the U.N.
for perceived human rights abuses.
Washington has come under fire for its treatment of
Afghanistan prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Canberra
has been lambasted for its hard-line stance toward asylum
seekers. [THIS IS THE POOREST REPORTING I HAVE SEEN IN A LONG TIME, AND DOW JONES WIRES HAS TOO MUCH EXPERIENCE TO HAVE DONE IT ACCIDENTALLY. ALL MAJOR INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE RESOUNDINGLY CRITICIZED THE US DOMESTIC AS WELL AS INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHED A TEN CHAPTER REPORT ON US DOMESTIC ABUSES IN 1998. CENTRAL AMERICAN AND LATIN AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE REPEATEDLY CRITICIZED THE US FOR ITS TOLERANCE AND EVEN SUPPORT OF DEATH SQUADS AND MILITARY REGIMES THAT ROUTINELY TORTURED, DISAPPEARED AND MURDERED OPPONENTS. IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE TO MAKE IT SEEM THAT THE ONLY ABUSES THE US IS GUILTY OF ARE IN RELATION TO ITS TREATMENT OF THE TALIBAN PRISONERS.]
"I hope that we will be able to exercise some influence to
ensure that the world takes a constructive and effective
approach to improvements in international human rights,"
Downer told reporters in the Australian city of Adelaide. [WELL, THAT CERTAINLY CANNOT BE DONE BY TURNING A BLIND EYE TO THE ABUSES PERPETRATED AND SUPPORTED BY THE UNITED STATES OR BY LETTING IT BUY AND BULLY ITS WAY BACK ONTO THE COMMISSION. IT WAS THAT KIND OF ARROGANT BEHAVIOR THAT GOT THE US VOTED OUT IN THE FIRST PLACE. AS IT WOULD BE IN OTHER INSTANCES IF THE ELECTIONS WERE SECRET BALLOT AS THEY ARE IN ECOSOC, WHICH VOTES FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.]
The commission, which usually meets in Geneva, makes
recommendations on the protection and promotion of human
rights - either on its own initiative or at the request of
the General Assembly or the Security Council.
[BUT THE UNITED STATES HAS ROUTINELY IGNORED THE KEY HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES RAISED BY OTHER COUNTRIES, AND ITS DELEGATION HAS CONSISTENTLY VOTED AGAINST THE MAJORITY CONCERNS --OFTEN AS A MINORITY OF ONE OR ACCOMPANIED BY ONLY ONE OR TWO SMALL COUNTRIES IT COULD BULLY OR PURCHASE. AT THE SAME TIME, FOR OVER A DECADE IT HAS BROUGHT TO THE COMMISSION ONLY ONE CONCERN: GETTING A VOTE AGAINST CUBA, AND PRESSURED ALL OTHER COUNTRIES TO VOTE FOR ITS RESOLUTION "OR ELSE". LITTLE WONDER THAT OTHER COUNTRIES FEEL THE US DOES NOT BELONG ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.]
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
Courtesy of:
The Law Office of Jose Pertierra
1010 Vermont Avenue, NW #620
Washington, DC 20005
202 783 6666
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
==========================
Karen Lee Wald
2175 Aborn Road, apt. 164
San Jose, CA 95121
telephone 408-532-6147
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Karen Lee Wald
2175 Aborn Road, apt. 164
San Jose, CA 95121
telephone 408-532-6147
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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